Mesh anchored combustion internal combustion engine

Abstract

An engine with mesh anchored combustion with a pressure regulating auxiliary chamber for providing controlled internal combustion at essentially a constant pressure. The engine comprises a main cylinder and piston with an auxiliary chamber and piston integral therewith. The auxiliary chamber is adjacent to the main cylinder head, connected thereto through a relatively narrow throat. A mesh is positioned in the throat at the boundary of the main cylinder and the auxiliary chamber. Accordingly, when the main piston compresses a charge in the main cylinder during its compression stroke, the charge is pushed through the mesh into the auxiliary chamber. The auxiliary chamber piston pushes the charge in the reverse direction back through the mesh into the main cylinder. As the charge passes through the mesh back into the main chamber, its combustion forces the main piston back down toward bottom dead center.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An engine with mesh anchored combustion, comprising:
 a main cylinder having a main chamber with a main piston slidably disposed therein, wherein said main piston is configured to complete at least an expansion stroke and a compression stroke in the main cylinder; 
 an auxiliary cylinder having a free-floating auxiliary piston slidably disposed therein and an auxiliary chamber, wherein said auxiliary chamber is connected to the main chamber through a throat channel; and 
 a mesh disposed in the throat channel, wherein the mesh is positioned such that any fluid material gases passing between the auxiliary chamber and the main chamber must traverse through the mesh and configures the engine such that combustion is anchored to said mesh; and 
 wherein the auxiliary piston and main piston cooperate to move the fuel-air mixture through the mesh. 
 
     
     
       2. The engine of  claim 1 , additionally comprising at least one igniter positioned adjacent to said mesh, wherein said at least one igniter is configured to selectively initiate a flame on the main chamber side of the mesh. 
     
     
       3. The engine of  claim 1 , wherein said auxiliary piston is configured to block the flow of relatively uncompressed fluid material gases from the main chamber to the auxiliary chamber through the mesh. 
     
     
       4. The engine of  claim 1 , wherein said auxiliary piston is configured to allow pressurized fluid material gases in the main chamber to enter the auxiliary chamber through the mesh during the compression stroke of the main piston. 
     
     
       5. The engine of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said auxiliary piston and main piston are configured to move fluid material gases in the auxiliary chamber through the mesh into the main chamber during the expansion stroke of the main piston. 
     
     
       6. The engine of  claim 1 , wherein the mesh is configured with at least one igniter such that such when a fuel-air mixture in the auxiliary chamber is moved through the mesh, the fuel-air mixture is ignited as it exits the mesh. 
     
     
       7. The engine of  claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary piston is adapted to move between a seated position where the flow of fluid material gases through the mesh is blocked and an unseated position where the flow of fluid material gases through the mesh is unblocked. 
     
     
       8. The engine of  claim 7 , wherein the auxiliary piston defines a free piston movable between the seated position and unseated position driven by compressed gas in the auxiliary cylinder. 
     
     
       9. The engine of  claim 8 , additionally comprising a pressure chamber connected to the head of the main cylinder and adapted to maintain a reference pressure, wherein the auxiliary cylinder is integral with the pressure chamber so as to cause the auxiliary piston to remain in its seated position unless fluid material gases in the main chamber is compressed to a pressure equal or higher than the reference pressure. 
     
     
       10. The engine of  claim 1 , wherein the throat channel is relatively narrow relative to the main chamber and auxiliary chamber. 
     
     
       11. The engine of  claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary cylinder is constructed in a funnel design and is substantially wider than the width of the throat channel. 
     
     
       12. An engine with mesh anchored combustion, comprising:
 a main cylinder having a main chamber with a main piston slidably disposed therein, wherein said main piston is configured to complete at least an expansion stroke and a compression stroke in the main cylinder; 
 an auxiliary cylinder having a free-floating auxiliary piston slidably disposed therein and an auxiliary chamber, wherein said auxiliary chamber is connected to the main chamber through a throat channel and the auxiliary piston defines a piston adapted to be moved between a seated position where the flow of fluid material gases through the mesh is blocked and an unseated position where the flow of fluid material gases through the mesh is unblocked; 
 a mesh disposed in the throat channel, wherein the mesh is positioned such that any fluid material gases passing between the auxiliary chamber and the main chamber must traverse through the mesh and configures the engine such that combustion is anchored to said mesh; and 
 wherein the auxiliary piston and main piston cooperate to move the fuel-air mixture through the mesh and at least one igniter positioned adjacent to said mesh, wherein said at least one igniter is configured to selectively initiate a flame on the main chamber side of the mesh. 
 
     
     
       13. The engine of  claim 12 , wherein the mesh is defined by a plurality of interlaced walls which are relatively narrow on the auxiliary chamber side and wide on the main chamber side, thereby configuring the mesh to minimize the flow resistance of fluid gases flowing through it from the main chamber to the auxiliary chamber. 
     
     
       14. The engine of  claim 12 , wherein the mesh is configured to minimize heat loss to the main cylinder head. 
     
     
       15. The engine of  claim 12 , wherein the auxiliary piston defines a free piston movable between the seated position and unseated position driven by compressed gas in the auxiliary cylinder. 
     
     
       16. The engine of  claim 15 , additionally comprising a pressure chamber connected to the head of the main cylinder and adapted to maintain a reference pressure, wherein the auxiliary cylinder is integral with the pressure chamber so as to cause the auxiliary piston to remain in its seated position unless fluid material gases in the main chamber is compressed to a pressure equal or higher than the reference pressure. 
     
     
       17. The engine of  claim 12 , wherein the throat channel is relatively narrow relative to the main chamber and auxiliary chamber. 
     
     
       18. The engine of  claim 12 , wherein the auxiliary cylinder is constructed in a funnel design and is substantially wider than the width of the throat channel. 
     
     
       19. An engine with mesh anchored combustion, comprising:
 a main cylinder having a main chamber with a main piston slidably disposed therein, wherein said main piston is configured to complete at least an expansion stroke and a compression stroke in the main cylinder; 
 an auxiliary cylinder having a free-floating auxiliary piston slidably disposed therein and an auxiliary chamber, wherein said auxiliary chamber is connected to the main chamber through a throat channel that is relatively narrow relative to the main chamber and auxiliary chamber; 
 a mesh disposed in the throat channel, wherein the mesh is positioned such that any fluid material gases passing between the auxiliary chamber and the main chamber must traverse through the mesh and configures the engine such that combustion is anchored to said mesh; and 
 wherein the auxiliary piston and main piston cooperate to move the fuel-air mixture through the mesh and at least one igniter positioned adjacent to said mesh, wherein said at least one igniter is configured to selectively initiate a flame on the main chamber side of the mesh; 
 said mesh defined by a plurality of interlaced walls which are relatively narrow on the auxiliary chamber side and wide on the main chamber side, thereby configuring the mesh to minimize the flow resistance of fluid gases flowing through it from the main chamber to the auxiliary chamber; and 
 said auxiliary piston adapted to move between a seated position where the flow of fluid material gases through the mesh is blocked and an unseated position where the flow of fluid material gases through the mesh is unblocked through compressed gas in the auxiliary cylinder. 
 
     
     
       20. The engine of  claim 19 , additionally comprising a pressure chamber connected to the head of the main cylinder and adapted to maintain a reference pressure, wherein the auxiliary cylinder is integral with the pressure chamber so as to cause the auxiliary piston to remain in its seated position unless fluid material gases in the main chamber is compressed to a pressure equal or higher than the reference pressure.